Hi everyone! :biggrin1:I am Gwenn from Atlanta, and am hoping to get banded in the next month. I am self-pay (I have Coventry, and they practically laughed in my face when I asked them if they would cover the lap-band surgery!), and have completed all of my pre-op appointments. Everything has been cleared, I am just waiting for the results of my MMPI-II test (I think I passed!). Dr. Scott Steinberg at Dekalb Medical Center is doing my surgery. I am so excited!

I have a few questions, and any feedback would be helpful.

1 - I have only discussed the surgery with my spouse. I am a pretty private person, and really do not wish to discuss my bariatric surgery with friends. My parents are super suppportive, but tends to "over-worry" about every little thing. Optional surgery would send them over the edge. Perhaps when my weight loss starts to show, I may consider telling people how I did it. Is it too much of a burden just to have my spouse keep this 'inside the family', until I am ready to discuss this with other people? He is OK with it, but once I am in recovery, I do not want him to have to lie for me, or anything. Who do I really have to tell?

2 - What do you say to people, after your surgery, in social settings, as to why you are not eating (at a business dinner, an office party, dinner party)? Do you just say you are recovering from surgery? Do you say you just had a lap-band put in? Or do you say you are not hungry? My husband and I have a lot of social engagements, and food is always involved. I hate the idea of telling strangers I just had bariatric surgery!

3 - I am so excited about the surgery, but not at all scared or nervous. Has anyone else felt that way? At our group nutritional class, everyone seemed excited for the procedure, but also very nervous. I just cannot wait to start this new journey, that I am experiencing no nervousness at all! I am sure I will be anxious the morning of my surgery, but until then, I can't wait! Am I nuts, or has anyone else been so excited for a surgical procedure?

Thanks everyone! I love this forum, and have found it so helpful!

Hi Gwen, I'm Gina from Douglas in south Georgia. I just wanted to tell you that I was so excited about my surgery that I told just about everyone. I wasn't nervous at all. I had wanted this for so long and could hardly wait. What was really funny, is that I didn't have any nervousness until immediately after the surgery. Once I woke up, I said to myself what in the world have I done. IT sort of freaked me out, especially since I had been so excited about it. But I must say, those feelings were short lived (they were gone before I was discharged from the hospital).

In regards as to who you need to tell. You do what you feel comfortable with. If someone asks, just say you had a minor outpatient procedure and you have to be careful with what you eat for awhile. If they ask what type of surgery, just say you don't feel comfortable discussing it and leave it at that. You don't owe anyone an explanation.

Good luck with your journey and let us know when your lucky day happens.

fun questions

I had mine done in Mexico. I can tell you all about nervous. That was the craziest thing I've ever done but well reserached and went better than expected.

I know what you mean about eating after the procedure. Once I hit solids I had a hard time at lunch. For some reason I could not put it down. So whenever I met friends or clients I did it at dinner. For me the band was friendlier to food then. I was ver concious about people looking at my eating. Such small bites for such a big girl type looks. I got over it and turn it around. I just apologize for being such a slow eater and make them talk away.

About who to tell. I told the people I loved. They know me and know how much research I did before making my decision. So really no obstacles there. The rest of the world doesn't know and I don't care to share. This is my journey and I've thought about if someone askes me directly...what would I say. I've recenlty decided that if that were to happen I would simply say I had a rubber band placed around my stomach. No one knows what a band is unless they are like us.

I'm losing a little hair because I've not been getting my protein in as instructed. Now I am but I'm upset with myself for not following the protein instructions. So keep that in mind.

This is the only time that I've felt HOPE in decades. The hope that I will be healthy, the hope that I will succeed, the hope that that skinny gal inside me will finally show herself. Let's not forget the clothes...loving that!